Eternity
by ElvisVF101
Summary: After returning to the future from the Galaxy Cauldron, Sailor Cosmos calls upon the power of friends long gone to defeat Chaos once and for all. Usagi/Mamoru, Senshi/Shitennou


A cold wind blew across the desolate landscape. Nothing had grown here in a very long time; so long that new stars had been born and died, and still the land remained barren.

Once, long ago, this desolate landscape had been full of life. In a language, long since dead, as no one was left to speak it, the place had been called Crystal Tokyo. It was the height of civilization, a living manifestation of the power of a girl named Tsukino Usagi. She was a clumsy crybaby with a pure heart. Her Love had created paradise on Earth. Her Courage made it endure for many long years. Her Sacrifice doomed it to one day fall.

Chaos was defeated, but not destroyed, instead reborn into the hearts of those who sprang forth from the Galaxy Caldron. Even though they were born into paradise, they rebelled, allowing Chaos to once again manifest into a physical form, and lay waste to the Utopia that so many had sacrificed so much for.

The war was brutal. Nothing like it had ever been seen. Violence and destruction were sadly nothing new. The betrayal was the worst part. Chaos worked by corrupting everything good about the world. Diversity turned to mistrust, friendship into jealousy, love into hate.

Calling upon a very old bond that was thought to be broken, Chaos resurrected four souls unwillingly bound to its service. It took great delight in tormenting these four men with memories of past betrayal and heartbreak. It took even greater pleasure in watching them slay the man they swore to protect, falling at the hands of the women they swore to love in a battle that claimed the lives of the legendary Sailor Senshi, the last guardians of the Paradise once known as Crystal Tokyo.

* * *

The heart can only take so much pain. Tsukino Usagi was once the Moon Princess, and had watched Chaos corrupt the hearts of the Shitennou, the Guard of Prince Endymion of Earth, and the lovers of her best friends and guardians. She then watched Chaos murder her beloved Prince Endymion. In despair, she took her own life.

Through her mother's sacrifice, Serenity was born again as Tsukino Usagi, and had a chance to once again find love. She watched again as her friends were betrayed, and died again, along with her beloved Endymion, born again as Chiba Mamoru. It was hard enough a millennium ago on the moon. On Earth, it happened more than once. And yet, she always sacrificed, and through her love, was able to save everyone.

It was this repeated sacrifice that made the last battle so hard to endure. Sailor Moon, in all her forms, both warrior and royalty, was still clumsy, crybaby, meatball head Tsukino Usagi. Her heart was pure, but was not above being broken. She had fought so hard, and been so much braver than she ever thought she could. Seeing everything she had fought so hard for be destroyed by the enemy she had been fighting for thousands of years broke her heart seemingly beyond repair.

And so she fled. She went back to ensure that her heart would never be broken again. She went to find the innocent girl she had once been, and wanted to end her life at that time, while she was still happy.

But what this heartbroken Tsukino Usagi, known to the universe as Sailor Cosmos, has not counted on, was the power of that innocent past Tsukino Usagi. She went back and found that innocent Usagi heartbroken over the loss of her friends and lover, just as she was. But she still had the power of Hope, and the desire to save everyone. The power of that innocent Usagi had been enough to save the world, and it saved Sailor Cosmos too. She returned to her hopeless future with a new courage, a gift from her past self that would once again save the world.

* * *

Into the desolate darkness shone a light such as had not been seen since the fall of Crystal Tokyo. It did not go unnoticed by the Darkness that had come to rule this place.

_"So you decided to return, Sailor Brat?"_ sneered Chaos. _"Have you finally learned that you can not hide from me? I will consume you."_

Sailor Cosmos stood with a serene look on her face. She stared into the eyes of the Abyss, and inexplicably, she smiled; a sweet smile that had not been seen in many thousands of years.

"No," she said simply. "You can not win."

_"Fool!"_ The darkness pulsed. _"Do you think your pathetic power alone is enough to defeat me?"_

In spite of the raging tempest before her, Sailor Cosmos' smile only brightened.

"I am not alone."

And she raised her hands. In each of her hands appeared four stones. In her right hand were four minerals, three of various shades of green, and one brilliantly clear. In her left came three precious gems, a sapphire, a ruby and an emerald, accompanied by a heart shaped piece of pure gold. As she brought her hands together, the light from the stones shone brightly, and everything faded to white.

* * *

"Open your eyes."

Jadeite stirred at the call. He felt heavy, as though he had been asleep for days. He was vaguely aware of lying on a tatami floor, with a fire burning in front of him. He looked around and found himself in what looked to be a shrine room.

"Look at me," said a voice from behind him.

When Jadeite complied, he found himself staring into a pair of brilliant violet eyes. He remembered the first time he had seen those eyes. He found himself thinking that such eyes could not belong to any ordinary woman. Such eyes could only belong to a heavenly being. And with her midnight black hair and pale, exotic features, he was certain that the Princess of Mars was nothing short of the Goddess of Fire incarnate.

Now, thousands of years later, his feelings had not changed. The goddess knelt above his prone form. His heart raced again at the sight. But this time, it was more out of fear than excitement. The goddess was before him. Surely, he was now to be punished. He deserved no better. A thrice cursed traitor to the woman he loved and the kingdom he served deserved to be roasted alive for eternity. He dared to look once more into those eyes, wondering if they would end his miserable existence swiftly with a single glance.

His heart nearly stopped when he instead found those eyes warm with a love he thought he would never see again.

"It's been a long time," said the goddess fondly.

Jadeite thought it would hurt to be burned. He had vague memories of what it felt like to be killed by this woman. He remembered that it was not pleasant. But it had not hurt nearly as much as hearing her speak to him with such affection now. Would this be his punishment? To be tortured for eternity with the love he had lost forever? He found himself wishing for the mercy of being roasted alive.

"Please don't look at me," he said as he squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm pathetic. I'm a traitor and a murderer. Please, just… give me what I deserve."

Jadeite wasn't quite sure what to expect. He thought that she might cry, or maybe she would simply burn him.

He didn't expect her to slap him.

It wasn't that he didn't think he deserved it. It certainly wasn't that she had never done so before. She had… many times. More often than not, he deserved it too. But, he couldn't help but feel indignant that her response to his most difficult confession of guilt was to treat him as though he had laughed at another woman's joke.

She rose from his side and faced away from him, arms crossed in front of her.

"You really are pathetic."

Jadeite scrambled to his feet, trying to think of a way to respond.

"What was that for?"

She turned to face him. Her eyes were now filled with the rage he had initially expected. He could deal with that. It was the tears that would be his undoing though. He was already unsteady on his feet when she gave him a two handed shove in the chest.

"You arrogant, self-centered, pathetic weakling!"

He merited all of those titles, he knew. But a part of him just couldn't accept this from her. He expected divine retribution. This wasn't quite what he had in mind, and it stirred his own anger.

"What do you mean arrogant? I thought I was doing a fairly decent job of being humble!"

"You always do this Jadeite! You think this is all about you!" She punctuated each sentence with another push, backing him up into the wall.

Jadeite was now thoroughly confused. He almost wanted to laugh. His predicament was nothing new when it came to dealing with Hino Rei. He could remember more than one occasion where he was subject to her fury for no reason he could possibly fathom. The humor quickly gave way to frustration. He knew he deserved the worst sort of punishment, but the eternal irrational anger of the Senshi of Fire seemed a bit too cruel, even for a thrice cursed traitor and murderer.

"Will you stop that!" he shouted, holding up his hands meekly to defend himself. "Tell me, for once, what on Earth have I done to deserve this?"

"Do you know how long I waited to see you again?" With no where else to push him, she resorted to beating him with her fists. "Do you know how long I was alone?"

Jadeite brought his hands down in shock as he stared mutely into Rei's tear-streaked face. Her sorrow began to overtake her anger, and her beatings became much more half-hearted.

"You waited?"

"Of course I waited you moron!" This seemed to renew her fury as she pounded against his chest. "I love you! I'd wait as long as it took!"

"How could you love me? After everything I did… I don't deserve your love…"

"Idiot!" she screamed, with a fresh onslaught of punches. "You always do this! For once, just once in your pathetic life, would you stop and look at things from someone else's perspective?"

This time, Jadeite didn't bother to defend himself, simply letting Rei beat out her frustrations on his chest.

"I know what Chaos did to you, how she used your fear against you. You always acted so tough and cocky to hide your feelings."

He couldn't deny it. His duty to his Prince always required him to be firmly in control. It was easier to project confidence from behind a cynical smirk, masking the fearful boy who had been thrust into a sacred duty long before he was ready.

"I had the same doubts, Jadeite, and I've had to live with them all alone!" Her fury once again abated as she poured out the pain of a millennium of solitude. "I've had to accept them, and I had to forgive you."

Jadeite did the only sensible thing he could. He caught her arms and brought her into an embrace. She clutched at his shirt as she continued to pour her heart out.

"I'm sorry. I just thought… I've been given so many second chances, and I've wasted them all. I didn't think I deserved another one."

Rei began to sob even harder. "But that's just it! This isn't a second chance, it's our last chance!"

"What?"

"Sailor Cosmos is facing Chaos for the last time. But she needs our power. If she wins, this world will be reborn."

"Will we be together then?" he asked with a desperate hope.

"I… I don't know. We… we won't be reborn."

"What? What will happen to us?"

Rei didn't answer immediately. Instead, she buried her face deeper into his chest.

"Rei, please tell me, what will happen to us?"

Slowly, Rei brought her tear-stained face up to look into Jadeite's blue eyes, now on the verge of tears himself.

"We go into eternity."

Jadeite felt his heart clench. He had no idea what she meant, but he felt afraid just the same. As if sensing his confusion, Rei brought her hand to his cheek.

"Sailor Cosmos is going to sacrifice herself to destroy Chaos's ability to become physical. If she succeeds, the world will be reborn. But to prevent Chaos from having the power to destroy the world, she has to sacrifice the power that makes us Senshi. The power that makes you a king…" She brought her hand down from his face to his heart. "The world will be reborn without us."

Jadeite pulled her head back to his chest as he stroked her hair. So this would be his punishment. It was rather merciful compared to what he deserved. He could accept that.

"So you see, Jadeite. I have every right to be mad with you. I don't have time for you to wallow in self-pity. We don't have much time. We may not be reborn, but we can choose what to take with us into eternity."

Jadeite smiled as a sense of peace overtook him. He put his finger under Rei's chin. When their eyes met again, he brought his hand up to caress her cheek. His eyes brightened as she closed her own eyes, leaning into his touch.

"I'm sorry Rei. You're absolutely right. I'm selfish, and a coward. I've always been afraid of what I felt, and I tried to hide it. That's how Chaos took me. I was just so afraid. I felt so strongly for you, thinking that you could never feel the same way about me. And when you did, I was so ashamed. How could I ever be a man worthy of you? I was still a boy, untested and unproven, always needing my brothers to save me."

"Idiot," said Rei quietly as she gave him a playful slap. "You need to have more faith in yourself."

Jadeite sighed as he lowered his head, bringing his forehead to hers. "I've never had your faith."

Rei ran her fingers through his hair. "Then share mine. See the world as I see it. See yourself as I see you."

Jadeite pulled back to look into Rei's eyes, focusing on the quality that always seemed to make them so ethereal. He could see the warmth and love that she had shown him earlier. But what he recognized now was the deep sense of peace he found. All her rage and sorrow had faded away. Left behind was the faith he had always been so desperately lacking. If he was truly to go into eternity, this was how he wanted to go: at peace, contented… and loved.

"Promise me one thing Jadeite."

His gaze never left hers. "Anything."

"Promise me you'll never doubt our love again."

"Never again."

And with a kiss, Rei and Jadeite sealed their promise, surrendering their power to their princess, and together, they went into infinity with eternal love and eternal hope.

* * *

He followed the sound of running water. He didn't know why he was drawn to it, but something told Zoisite that it was very important he find his way to the source. His boots clicked an urgent cadence on the marble floor as he made his way to the archway at the end of the hall. The sunlight prevented him from seeing clearly what was outside, but he knew his goal was just on the other side.

When he stepped through, it was as though he had strayed into a dream. He walked into a beautiful garden, with a towering fountain at the center. It was nearly twice as tall as he was, and the water cascaded down in many levels, with the sunlight reflecting rainbows at seemingly every level. Birds sang and flowers bloomed. But all these sights paled in comparison to the maiden who sat at the waters edge.

All the stories of mermaids and water nymphs, he mused, scarcely did this woman justice. Even seated quietly, legs crossed at the ankle, with her hand under her chin as she watched the water, she possessed a grace that no woman he had ever met could match.

For what seemed like an eternity, he simply watched. No longer could he hear the birdsong or the cascading water. No longer could he see wildflowers and rainbows. The only thing that existed was the maiden dressed in blue. When she turned her gaze to meet his, he was sure he had forgotten how to breathe. All he could do was stare, hypnotized, into her eyes.

This was his fate, he thought. He would drown. He would drown in those eyes, bluer and deeper than the ocean. It seemed merciful that he would at least glimpse heaven before he was sent to hell.

He was so lost that he had not even noticed that those eyes were now directly in front of him. He fought the urge to laugh. Mizuno Ami always did move with the fluidity of her element. He wondered how long it would be before she engulfed him with her wrath.

"You kept me waiting."

A tsunami could hardly have hit him with greater force.

"Why would you wait for me?"

She took his hand. "I have always been waiting for you," she said simply.

She turned and brought him to sit with her at the water's edge. He fought the enchantment of her eyes as he asked again. "Why would you wait for me?"

She covered his hand with both of hers. "Because I love you."

Angrily, he tore his hand from her grasp and rose. "How could you love me?"

He expected tears from her, perhaps even yelling. What he did not expect was laughter. But yet, there it was, a soft, musical laugh that pierced his heart. She rose from from her seat and took his face in her hands.

"You always were asking questions. I suppose it's why we got along so well. You were the only one who could keep up with me."

Zoisite sighed, as if in pain. He brought his own hands to meet hers at the sides of his face. He asked again. "Why do you love me?"

Ami cocked her head to the side, staring off in the distance, as if deep in thought. Finally, she brought her gaze back to his. Her eyes lit up, and she giggled as if she was a teenage girl again, and not the living embodiment of a goddess of grace and wisdom.

"I don't know," she said as she slipped her hands from his and moved back to the fountain, kneeling and dipping her hand into the water.

Zoisite blinked foolishly for a few moments, completely floored by what he had heared.

"You…don't…"

She looked back to him, her face a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "Not everything has to be understood Zoisite. You and I are so used to having answers that it's easy to forget that not everything needs to be analyzed." She closed the distance between them, and placed a drop of cold water playfully on his nose. "Sometimes, some uncertainty is a good thing."

Zoisite suddenly felt all the guilt flooding back to him. "It made me betray you though."

Ami brought her hands to his face, forcing him to meet her gaze. "I know, and I already forgave you."

Her touch and her words finally broke the dam. He squeezed his eyes shut, as though they might keep the torrents at bay. But everything he had held in finally came flooding out.

"You just always fascinated me so much. I could look into your eyes, and I knew that there was a woman hidden behind all the facades you had to put up for the world, behind the intelligence and behind the duty. And when you showed me a glimpse, I was so afraid that I couldn't ever begin to understand. I felt so small and inadequate. How could a man like me ever be worthy of you?"

He felt her hands on his face. "Zoisite, look at me."

When he opened his eyes, there was a sad smile on her face.

"Do you know why we're here?"

Zoisite sighed again. He had felt his bond with Jadeite cut. He felt what Jadeite had felt in that last moment.

"Yes."

Ami moved to embrace him. "Where we're going, there will be no more barriers between us. You'll have forever to discover and explore. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Zoisite held her tightly, a sense of relief and calm washing over him like a wave.

"Promise me one thing," he heard her whisper.

He brought his hands to her face and he met her gaze.

"Anything."

"You'll let me discover you too…"

Zoisite gave his promise with a kiss. It was a gesture of humble submission between the two, not only of submission to their princess, but to each other as well.

And with that, Ami and Zoisite set out to explore forever.

* * *

It wasn't that he hated the rain. Rain was useful in its own right. But Nephrite just hated the clouds that came with the rain. Without the clouds, he couldn't see the sky.

He couldn't see the stars.

It gave him a sense of security to look up and see the endless depths of space. It made him think that the universe was vast enough to give him the answers to any question he could have. The clouds put a grey ceiling on his world, trapping him in a box with no way out, and no where to find the answers.

Mercifully, the rain was light, almost warm. But he still sought out shelter and hurried under the branches of the nearby tree. He moved to sit down, but realized the damp ground would quickly soak him through. In frustration he kicked at the trunk of the tree.

A moment later, he felt something strike the side of his head. He bent down to pick up the offending object. An acorn?

"You're an idiot you know. You could just climb up and stay dry."

Nephrite froze. He knew that voice. A part of him wanted to turn and meet those emerald eyes he had stared into so often. But his shame kept him from indulging. So he found himself frozen in indecision. Another acorn struck him.

"Don't just stand there! Make a choice!"

Nephrite sighed as the guilt overwhelmed him. He had made so many bad decisions. He knew that if he had even a shred of honor left, he must make the right decision here. He could never hope to atone, but he could at least do the right thing. He turned to walk away.

This time, a quick succession of three acorns hit him. They were thrown with considerably more force.

"You idiot!"

Irritated, he turn to face his accuser. Kino Makoto leapt from the branches which had been sheltering her from the rain to face her once time lover eye to eye.

"Did I really deserve that?"

"You were going to walk away," she accused.

He averted his gaze. "I've done far worse," he said quietly, almost to himself.

Another acorn struck him, this time between the eyes.

"Idiot!" she screamed.

Nephrite's growing confusion only added to his irritation. "You really think this would have been worse than betraying my prince? Worse than killing you? Worse that selling my soul for the promise of power?" He turned from her, hoping the rain had hidden his tears. He moved to walk away. "What could possibly be worse than that?"

Another acorn struck him. But this one almost seemed to be thrown half-heartedly. When he turned, those beautiful green eyes he had tried to avoid captured his heart once again. They were brimming with tears. His heart clenched at the sight. A goddess of strength and power should not appear so fragile. Not because of the likes of him.

"You were going to leave me alone again," she whispered. Even through the rain, he knew she was now weeping openly. Without thinking, he rushed back to her, taking her into his arms. It felt so familiar, so comfortable, so right.

"I'm so tired of being alone," she cried. "Won't you stay this time?"

"I want to stay Makoto, more than anything. But I've done so many horrible things. I've asked the stars where I should look for forgiveness so many times, but they remain silent. I have no answers. How can I ever atone for what I've done?"

He felt a playful punch to the side of his head. He looked down and found himself lost in those emerald eyes once again. They had unshed tears in them, but this time, there was also love and warmth. "Idiot. You could have asked me."

Almost in defeat, he dropped his head, pressing his own forehead to hers. "I don't deserve your forgiveness."

She pulled his face back and forced him to meet her gaze. "Idiot. You have it anyway," she said with a smile.

He let out an exasperated sigh, but smiled in spite of himself as he brought his head back to hers.

"Nephrite, you know why we're here, right?"

He let out a deep breath, remembering the feelings that flooded him when Jadeite and Zoisite had left. "I know."

"Then promise me one thing."

He tightened his grip on her. "Anything."

"I've been alone so long. Please don't let me spend eternity alone."

"You will never be alone again."

And so, as their lips met, Makoto and Nephrite made their final sacrifice. They made it together, and found a place where they would never be alone again.

* * *

If this was to be his eternal punishment, Kunzite supposed that perpetual training was fairly merciful. After all, the training dummies at least gave an outlet for the anger and frustration he would likely have to deal with for all eternity. Even a man with his iron control would need an outlet eventually. He would, also, eventually, need a break. His shirt was soaked with sweat. Seeing a towel hanging next to a sink, he decided that a break was in order. He discarded his sweaty shirt and filled the sink with water before plunging his head in. He cupped his hands and filled them with water before pouring it over the back of his neck. Finally feeling some relief, he took the towel and began to dry off.

"You sure put on quite a show."

His reaction was instantaneous. In spite of his wet hair obstructing his vision, he quickly moved to a defensive position, putting the sink between him and the intruder. He was poised on the tips of his toes, arms at the ready, prepared to move wherever the battle took him. Inwardly, he cursed himself. He had not heard anyone approach. He should be dead. But, he supposed, he was already dead, so, it mattered very little.

While he had been expecting a blow would be forthcoming, he did not expect laughter.

"You look ridiculous," said the soft voice. A small hand moved to clear the hair out of his face, and he was finally able to see his opponent. He knew he was finished. No man, living or dead, stood a chance against the blue-eyed goddess of love and beauty. She would be the one to seal his fate for all eternity.

"Much better," she said in a dreamy voice as she ran her fingers through his still damp hair. "I can see your eyes now. Not that I didn't mind seeing everything else," she said in a very low voice as her other arm moved to trace patterns down his chest.

With more effort than he cared to admit, Kunzite stepped back from Minako's hypnotic presence. "Why are you here?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice even.

"You know why I'm here."

He turned from her, unwilling to let her see the effect the severing of the bond with his brothers had on him.

"You shouldn't waste your time with me, Minako."

"And why would I be wasting my time."

"Because I am weak. I have no thing left to give you."

"Nothing?"

"I sold my honor to the greatest evil ever known. I forsook my duty for hatred." He turned to face her, and held her gaze for a moment before he had to turn away again. "I betrayed my love for a lie."

"So you have nothing left to give?" she asked as she moved toward him.

"I lost it all. How can I ever get it back?"

He nearly jumped as he felt her hands come around his waist and she rested her head against his back. He could feel her hair move against him, and memories of running his hands through her silk tresses threatened to overwhelm him.

She sighed as she spoke. "For such a master strategist, you really are an idiot."

It took every ounce of Kunzite's famed control to keep from giving in to the urges Mina's presence was stirring in him. He wanted to let go, but he remembered the last time he had let his control go. When it was all over, the Moon Kingdom was no more.

"Do you know why you were so powerful as our enemy?"

Kunzite took a deep breath as he leaned his head back, attempting to steel himself for whatever would come next. He wished desperately that Mina was not so close to him as she said these things. He felt like he was on the verge of being torn apart.

"It's because you loved me so much."

The sheer absurdity of the statement seemed enough to restore his control. He stepped forward out of her grasp. But she caught his hand and stopped his, as surely as though she had him wrapped in her Love-me chain.

"Chaos doesn't have the power to create, only to corrupt."

"Chaos also has the power to destroy," he said, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Yes, Chaos can destroy… cities, planets, lives…" Gently, but firmly, she pulled his hand, finally forcing him to face her. "But Chaos can not destroy the things that matter. Friendship, loyalty, love…"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Prove me wrong. Tell me you don't still feel something for me."

He met her gaze, but remained silent, masking his inner turmoil with his impassive gaze.

Mina sighed and shut her eyes, unable to hide the single tear that fell. She released his hand and stepped back. Her face and eyes hardened, and her voice became that of Sailor Venus, commander of the Senshi.

"Kunzite, your princess needs you. Will you fulfill your duty?"

Hers was no longer the voice of a friend and lover as it had been. It was now that of a compatriot. This was what he was always most comfortable with, the precision and rigidity of a fellow soldier. It should have made his decision easier, and his actions clearer. But somehow, he found his heart clench at the sight of a goddess of love and beauty reduced to a battle hardened soldier because of his weakness.

"Is that all you wish for," he asked quietly. "For me to fulfill my duty?"

Her own iron mask faltered for a moment. "Do you have anything else to give?" she asked, her voice betraying a hint of hope.

"Even if what you say is true, and I still feel… something, how do I find it again?"

In answer, she closed the distance between them and brought her lips to his. When they finally broke apart, Kunzite found himself again staring into her bright blue eyes, which once again seemed warm.

"Does that help?" she asked sweetly.

He didn't answer immediately, instead he reached for a handful of her hair, reveling in the softness. Finally, he met her gaze again.

"I was always afraid of what I felt for you. I didn't think I could feel anything more powerfully than my sense of duty to my prince. I knew that I would gladly give my life if he required it. But… then I met you, and I wanted to live. I could not choose. And then… I was lost…"

Mina brought her own hand up to run through his hair. He did not bother to hide the shiver of delight that went through him as she did so.

"Where we're going, there is no more duty and sacrifice. There's just us."

"Just you…" he said dreamily as he continued to stroke her hair.

She smiled shyly under his loving gaze. Kunzite thought he had never seen anything more beautiful.

"Mina, I promise you that this time-"

He was abruptly cut off as she brought a finger to his lips.

"You don't have to promise me anything silly. Just say it, and mean it."

He understood, and he did mean it.

"I love you."

"I love you."

And with their kiss, Minako and Kunzite renewed their love and performed their final duty to their princess. Released from their burdens, they left for eternity to follow their hearts freely.

* * *

Sailor Cosmos smiled as she felt the power of her friends flow into her.

"Thank you everyone. I'm sorry it had to be like this. I'm not very strong, and I'm not very brave." She retained her smile, even though she was crying freely now. "I've missed you all so much, and now we'll never see each other again."

As she unleashed her attack, Chaos writhed in agony as it was torn apart.

"Mama, I'm so afraid. Did I do okay?" asked Tsukino Usagi. "I'm sorry I couldn't save everyone after all you sacrificed. I want you to know that I'd do it all again too. I just wish I didn't have to be alone"

"Usako, you are never alone."

Sailor Cosmos opened her eyes and was suddenly flooded with a newfound strength. She could feel a pair of arms wrap her from behind and a pair of soft lips placed a kiss on the top of her head.

A sad smile graced her lips as her attack reached its full power. Everything was consumed in light as Chaos faded away, her own life force flowing out to ensure the victory would be complete this time.

The same strong voice whispered in her ear. "Let's go, they're all waiting."

"You'll be with me?"

"Yes."

"Forever?"

"Forever."

"I love you Mamo-chan."

"I love you Usako."

* * *

And so the world was reborn. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't without evil. But it was a world born of love, and that was enough.

The people who lived there may not have known that there ever were Sailor Senshi who fought a great war so that they might live in peace. But wherever there was love, it was as though clumsy crybaby Tsukino Usagi and her friends lived again.


End file.
